It is a hard fall from Orange County to the desert...

Phoenix Finds a Piece of the Puzzle

Anaheim Ducks general manager Brian Burke’s initiative was to open up a roster spot for goaltender Jonas Hiller. The top-notch European import was currently wasting his time in the AHL and had received an offer by a Russian team worth $1.5 million.

Unable to find a team to take Ilya Bryzgalov — who is due to become an unrestricted free agent after the season — Burke simply placed the goaltender on waivers.

"What I promised Bryz is that I would find him a place to play," Burke told the Canadian Press. "Bryz is a great kid and a loyal soldier. He's won three playoff rounds for us and he deserves to play somewhere. But I was unable to move him."

By claiming Bryzgalov and the remainder of his $1.36 million salary, Wayne Gretzky's mid-budget team suddenly became much stronger in the Western Conference.

It is entirely possible that the Coyotes hit a stroke of luck with this deal. The Capitals opted not to claim Bryzgalov, but instead took a pass after dealing defenceman Brian Sutherby to the Ducks for a second-round pick. It may benefit Anaheim in other ways as well – perhaps taking some salary if cap space if the Ducks want to bring Scott Niedermayer out of retirement.

As for Bryzgalov, he won his first four starts for his new team.

"He is truly one of the pieces of this puzzle," Gretzky said after Bryzgalov beat the Maple Leafs 5-1. "He's helped us turn this team around and maybe our franchise. It's only four games and we have a long way to go. It's a nice start for him."

Bryzgalov did a terrific job as Jean-Sébastien Giguère’s backup in Anaheim. So good, in fact, that Giguère became the subject of a variety of trade rumors himself over the years.

The Ducks GM had decisions to make at every position. Keeping both Bryzgalov and Giguère became problematic, especially with Hiller starring in training camp and Ilya looking for more money and more playing time in 2008-09.

The Coyotes, meanwhile, bid farewell to veteran Curtis Joseph and went to camp with Alex Auld, David Aebischer, and Mikael Tellqvist competing for the job. The results were not encouraging.

Bryzgalov, 27, is just entering his prime. If he continues to star in Phoenix, the team would be wise to lock him into a contract for three or four years and turn his attention to other team needs.

Phoenix sits fourth in the Pacific division with a record of 11-10. They are set to play Minnesota on Wednesday night.

Searching for Success

Andrew Cogliano scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period, while Dwayne Roloson stopped 36 shots, as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Monday night for their much needed second straight victory.

Kyle Brodziak and Ales Hemsky also scored for Edmonton, which finished its season-high six-game homestand 3-3. The Oilers improved to 10-13-1 and moved five points behind first-place Minnesota and two behind fourth-place Calgary in the Northwest Division.

The Blue Jackets remain tied with Chicago and St. Louis for second place in the Central, six points behind Detroit.

Columbus took a hit when they lost their star goaltender Pascal Leclaire for the remainder of the game when he tweaked a hamstring muscle and was replaced by backup Fredrik Norrena.

Edmonton is desperate for wins since they have been dealing with a depleted defence this season. They have the choice to wait until their defence is in better form, or they can try to manage without them – the latter being the more feasible option. Many teams go through injury problems and they have not used that as an excuse for all team issues.

The Oilers have the youth and speed to be a real competitor in the Western Conference but they have not won the key games this season. Winning games against teams in the same division is more significant that just gaining a win. Edmonton is hopeful for a playoff spot; their mandate is not to make it to first place overall.

Edmonton best bet is to take advantage of the mediocre play of higher touted teams such as the Vancouver Canucks and their provincial rival Calgary Flames.

Edmonton’s next game is in Colorado on Wednesday night.

Player Spotlight: Ilya Bryzgalov - Phoenix Coyotes

Ilya Nikolayevich Bryzgalov was born June 22, 1980 in Tolyatti, Russia. He was nicknamed Bryz early in his hockey career. Ilya was selected in the second round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, 44th overall, by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. He was a member of the 2002 Russian Olympic team, where the team won a bronze medal. Bryzgalov also made the majority of the starts for the Russian team at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, playing in 240 minutes and recording a 2.34 GAA in three games.

In Bryzgalov’s first four games with Phoenix, he posted a 4-0-0 record, 1.62 goals-against average, and a .938 save percentage as the Coyotes extended their winning streak to four games. Bryzgalov has a1.22 goals-against average, .954 save percentage and one shutout with his new club.